Propane Ranges - Pros and Cons

[Four Seasons]

I am reading more and more lately that folks are drifting away from the traditional propane range in RVs. Although the oven seems to be the number one disappointment, I am giving propane ovens a score of 8/10. Read on…

We use our propane oven with some regularity; it’s especially useful for things like baking a frozen pizza, warming a casserole, browning a pan roast or broiling a steak. (It’s not always gonna be the perfect bbq day!)

Canadian bacon, the candy of meats can be cooked to perfection on a sheet pan in a propane oven!

These ovens are admittedly small, but can be really useful. For example, if you are boondocking without an electrical hook-up; there aren’t many RVs large enough to support sufficient solar, a battery bank and inverter with enough capacity to do this kind of cooking. Even some campground hook-ups might not supply enough power for one or more kitchen cooking appliances

Some propane oven tips:

The oven controls are notoriously inaccurate, so we use a little oven thermometer to learn the real temperature… our oven for example, needs to be set 25 degrees F higher on the dial, to achieve the desired oven temperature.

There’s no window in the oven door, so every time you open the door you could add about 10-15 minutes to your cooking time! To help with this, a pizza stone will definately help to better distribute heat in the oven, as well as minimizing the heat loss if you feel a need to open the door while cooking.

Lighting the oven pilot can be much easier if you have a long-stem, flexible butane bbq lighter. Set a flashlight on the open door when lighting the pilot, so you can better see where you’re aiming!

Be sure to turn on the range hood fan when using the cooktop or the oven to remove heat and odours, and to minimize indoor humidity when camping in colder weather.
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How did I get to my rating of 8/10 for propane RV ovens? Starting at 10, I deducted one point for each thing that I feel is a notable deficiency. Then I added back another one point for each solid advantage the propane oven represents.

Minus 1 for no window in the oven door.
Minus 1 for no built-in oven igniter.
Minus 1 for inaccurate oven temperature dials.
Minus 1 for no pilot light (there’s one for the HWT, why not the oven?)

Plus 1 for the fact that it’s a working oven… we are glamping after all!
Plus 1 for not having to use the generator when boondocking. (Maybe Plus 2?)

* So, what is your propane RV oven score, on a scale of one to ten?

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Note: I ignored the uneven heat and heat loss issues, because what the heck… it’s a tiny oven designed for a tiny space – and the pizza stone really works. Small sheet and roaster pans are available at dollar stores and on Amazon.

My wife is super-foodie and wouldn’t be any fun in the bush without the propane oven! (and I would sincerely miss the fabulous "home-cooked" meals!)

[Marine359]

If you’ve got a big rig, a propane oven would be a nice luxury to have: with some “buts”. Like: but if it’s small, or doesn’t have electronic ignition, we see it as something that occupies space without a suitable payoff. In a smallish or medium rig, thumbs down on oven. Storage space is just too valuable. And in a small rig, cooking inside adds a lot of heat which makes it miserable inside even on cool days. We get along fine cooking most meals outdoors on a Blackstone with side burner. For oven, we carry a combo toaster/air fryer which stores under the dinette. It cooks smaller things well, like cut-up chicken, or a 9” frozen pizza. And of course it toasts our bagels. We do have a built-in convection microwave which is rarely used except for storage. We just don’t feel the need to bake a cake, roast a turkey, or standing rib roast while traveling.

[creativepart]

Every RVer is different and has a different need or way of doing things.

We've had many RVs with Propane ovens - but never really used them much. Why? Because they are too difficult to light! That and countertop toaster ovens can do 90% of the cooking that a Propane oven can do and the other 10% of the uses aren't that necessary in an RV.

We have a Convection Microwave now and it works, okay. We waited 4-years to ever try it and now we use it maybe once or twice during a month on the road.

There really isn't anything we would need a propane oven for. We don't eat store bought frozen Pizza, and a steak should be cooked on a grill or griddle outside to be edible. Cookies are best from some fabulous local bakery you discover on your travels. And my wife brings along a very small countertop bread maker for when we want fresh baked bread.

I say, get a very good countertop "toaster" oven and kick the Propane oven to the curb. Better yet, put a bunch of handy drawers where the old unused oven used to live.

[Wayne M]

Back in the days of our 5th wheel it was a task to light the propane oven. Yes, an igniter or pilot light would have been real nice

We have not had a propane oven for 15 years or so. Like Jim, we use a Blackstone. Can even do a meatloaf on a Blackstone.

With that said, we use the convection over. After all, it is nothing but an air fryer, or is it an air fryer is nothing but a convection oven. DW makes cookies and other delicious items in the convection oven.

Don't have it, don't miss it, that's why I'm an RVMutant.

[Eagle5]

Two Stones are better than one when cooking pizza.
I like my propane oven.
Eagle5

[thompwil]

We enjoy having the oven and have used it many times making biscuits, homemade pizza, brownies, etc. All of our rigs have had one. The Mrs. is quite a cook and whenever possible loves to cook over a fire so we carry all the gear for doing that, but she likes having the oven too. I’ve never had a problem lighting it and it does require the use an oven thermometer. Not had a problem keeping cool with both ACs running either since it’s only on for short times, we’re not roasting turkeys or anything like that. We use it enough to be glad we have it.

[dkoldman]

Is this evaluation only for the propane range and not the propane cooktop?

We use Microwave, Cooktop & Oven in that order. I prefer a propane / gas cooktop over electric and given you have the propane cooktop, the Oven is natural. Our Cooktop lights automatically. Not sure why the Oven does not, but it is simple to light and works everytime.

For our trips, I admit we are not trying to make fancy meals in the RV in favor of going to restaurants. If we do cook we prefer to cook outside using the Outdoor kitchen. We have propane grill that has a griddle as option, so any mess or smell is outside.

I concur with the 8/10 rating. I will add another plus, say your furnace goes out, you can always light up cooktop and oven to generate heat

[creativepart]

Originally Posted by dkoldman

it is simple to light and works everytime.

Why would anyone think that getting down on your knees to reach in and hold a long lighter - while pushing down on a knob above them - and waiting for the thermocouple to heat up to light a pilot light… EACH time you want to use the oven is “simple to light.”

Lighting a propane burner by turning a “Light” button is “simple to light” but lighting an oven? Not so much.

And using a stove or oven to provide heat to your RV can be deadly.

[dkoldman]

Originally Posted by creativepart

Why would anyone think that getting down on your knees to reach in and hold a long lighter - while pushing down on a knob above them - and waiting for the thermocouple to heat up to light a pilot light… EACH time you want to use the oven is “simple to light.”

I agree it is relative and may not be simple for all. But why I think is....
1. I don't have to get on my knees
2. I use same long lighter to light my grills, and push button (safety) as well
3. Never heard of or new to wait for thermocouple to heat? It is pretty instant
4. As stated before we don't use the oven all that much to be a factor. It is just great to have when we needed as it is there was my point.

Lighting a propane burner by turning a “Light” button is “simple to light” but lighting an oven? Not so much. Agreed, we use cooktop burner 10:1 and the oven is more difficult to light than cooktop burner, but it is nevertheless simple for us. I wish it were like the cooktops though, if it were, I might give it a 9 based on OPs scale.

Originally Posted by creativepart

And using a stove or oven to provide heat to your RV can be deadly.

This statement is true even when cooking. But when I say for heat, that would be in an emergency situation from which not having any heat; people can freeze to death. In some cases just minutes from home or warmth. I have personally never had such emergency, but noted it was an option. Our fireplace is Vent Free and we run it all day and night at times.

[Four Seasons]

I just noticed a duplication in my original post...

Minus 1 for no built-in oven igniter, and minus 1 for no pilot light are pretty much the same comment - sorry about that!

So I guess I would actually be giving the oven a 9/10 although upon review, I think another minus 1 might be warranted for the uneven heating - so I guess I'm still at 8/10.

As far as the cooktop goes, no complains really.

And I realize all RV range ovens are not the same, maybe some models have better features - but generally speaking, i think they're all quite similar.

* So, what is your propane RV oven score, on a scale of one to ten?